Massage instrument.



H. A. GRASS.

MASSAGE INSTRUMENT.

APPLIOATION FILED 1111311 1908 Patented Apr. 8, 1913.

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nsnnr ANDREW cases, or cnIcAGo, rumors, Assxenoa or ronrr own-Y nunnnnnrns rmnours J. MITCHELL, or cmcneo, ILLINOIS.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 8, 1%13.

Application filed July 11, 1908. Serial No. 443,077.

To aZZ whom it may concern.

Be it known that l, HENRY A. GRASS, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of. Chicago, Cool: county, Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful linprovement in lilassage Instruments, of which the following is-a specification.

My invention relates .to hand operated massage tools of the kind disclosed in myprior Patent- No. 927,786, July 13,

The object of my present invention 1s the simplification mid-improvement of the gears ing and connection between the two handles or" the instrument, and between the two handles and therotary cup orapplicator; the provision of an improved arrangement by which the valve is in the cup or applicator, instead of in the bulb by which the air is exhausted from the cup or applicator, whereby the same bulb can be used on an atomizer, as hereinafter set forth; and. the provision of certain details and features of improvement, as will also hereinafter more fully appear, tending to increase the general efiiciency of an instrument of this particular character. I

To the foregoing and other useful ends, my invention consists in matters hereinafter set forth and claimed.

in the accompanying drawings-Figure 1 a perspective of a massage instrument, embodying the principles of my invention. Fig. 2 is a bottom view of the same, showing the applicator and bottom plate of the instrument removed to show the spring and.

gearing inclosed within the circular enlargement formed at the juncture of the two handles. Fig. 3 is a detail section on line. 3-3 in Fig. 2. Fig. 4; is an enlarged detail section of the valve in the side of the rubber cup or applicator.

Dis thus illustrated, the handle A has a circular enlargement a. provided with a rei'novable bottom plate a hold in placeby screws inserted in the threaded sockets a formed within the inclosure provided by said enlargement. Said bottom plate is provided with a boss a and the cup-shaped enlargement has its side provided with a slot a, as illustrated. The other handle B extends through the slot c, and is pivoted or tulcrunied upon the boss of. so that the two handles are pivotally joined vtogether and capable of moving toward and away from each other about a common zfiXlS. Within the enlargement a there is a segment gear {3 which is pivoted by a stud c to the top upper wall a of the said enlargement. A

hollow stem D extends upwardly through the boss a and also through the wall a the same being provided with a inion d interposed between the upper on of the boss (6 and the lower side of the wall a as shown. To the lower end of said hollowstem is secured the rubber cup or applicator E, the rim or edge e of which latter is circular and adapted to bear upon the face of the person receiving the massage treatment,

The said stem can be threaded and pr0- vided with a nut 41 for holding the saidcup or applicator in place. With this arrangement the opening and closing movements of the handle provide a back and forth rotation of thecup or applicator, inasinuch as the handle B is provided with a slot 7) into which extends a pin or stud 0 secured tothe segment gear Cthat is to say, the opening and closing movements of the handles produce a back and forth movement of the said segment gear, with a corn sequent oscillatory or back and forth rotation of the hollow stem, to the end of which the cup or applicator is secured.

The handles can be pressed together, and the separation or opening movements of the same is thenprodimed by the coil spring F, which latter is interposed between the two handles and inclosed within the interior of the enlargementa, in the manner shown more clearly in Fig. 2. Vvhen the handles are pressed together, the said spring is C0111- presscd, and when the pressure on the bandles is relaxed, the said spring then throws the handles back to their normal position such movement being limited by the slot 0;. During such operation of theihandles, the

air is exhausted from the said cup or applicator by the bulbG interposed between the two handles. This bulb has a couple of ears 9 that slip over the handles, the bulb and its two ears being preferably of molded rubber. At its rear end the bulb is provided with a small aperture 9 and at its other end it is connected by a flexible tube g with the upper end of the stem D, whereby the inte-v rior of the cup or applicator has free or on restricted communication with the said bulb. The said cup or applicator isr preferably provided in one side thereof with a valve 6 which latter may be simply 'athin sheet of iii termed integral-with the body of the up or epplicator. Underneath the ieet rubber is a small hole or through which the air from the escape outwardly from under- .hin'sheet of rubber, when the ed to ex and, the air is drawn from the iuterior of t. e cup or applicator, and a pertiul vacuum produced therein, inasmuch as the air euunot pass into the cup or sptpli ector through the opening a, the valve e is the passage when the air httem ts to I z I n in ti: direction. Thus, as state the expansion of the-bulb is accompanied by the fOllllitiilOl'l of pertlal vacuum.w1th1n.

the cup or applicator, which tends to in the intimacy or contact between the cup or applicator and the surface upon which it is working, and producing; u more cllective message action on the fake of the person. receiving the treatment. The open iug; g allows the air to pass slowly into the bull), when the latter expanded, and thus prevents the vacuum from holding the handies togethcr that is to say, if it were not for this opening 9' the expansion of the Mill) and the separation of the handles would be impeded by the vacuum. The spring ll could be made suficiently heavy and powerful to quickly separate the handles, but this would make. it somewhat hmdcr to work the instrument, andtor this l find it preferable to use the small relief opening in the end of the bulb, in the manner explained. This opening also, of course, allows the air to escape from the bulb when the latter is compressed, thus reof the said valve and the specific locatlon thereof in the side of the applicator, is to said bulb in com simply dismake it possible to use the junction with an atomizer, b

connecting the tube 9 fromt. e applicator,-

and by them working the handles A. and B in the menucr previously clescribed that is say, after the said tube 9 has been suitubl' connected with the said atomizer. Dursuch operation the applicator E will Wllate back and forth, but without in any interfering with the atomizing action, mid thus is is compressed. When the bulb is el-' :sod, and then prevent the admission of. 2 when the bulb expands. The purpose .latory motion on the one bulb and pair of handles answers the purpose for both the messaging Lemme opcrationencl'the atomizing operation. As the valve in a well-known form of atomizer opens to admit air into the atomizer when the bulb is compressed, it is necessary to locate the valve 6 in the side of the appliwall of the bulb, for example, it would then prevent the use of said bulb and pair of handles in conjunction with the atomizer,

'as in such case the air, instead of bein cater, for should it be located in the sideforced into the atomizer, would be cxpelle through the valve and into the atmosphere. Itwill be seen, therefore, that by locating the valve 6 in the side of the a plicatoz', the

said bulb is made free from va ves and rear.

olcred suitablei'or use" in. coinupressinp air and forcing nit-into the atomizer. This, as stated, is the purpose of the location of the valve 6 in the side of the applicator.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A massage instrument comprising a pair of handles, 2. hollow enlargement at the end ofonehendle, a bottom plate comm ably secured to said enlargement and provided with a boss upon which the other handle is pivoted or fulcrumed, a rotatable stem extending through said boss and the upper wall of said. enlargement, a pinion see cured directly to said stem at a point between the'said boss and upper wall, a segment gear pivoted on the said upper well,

means on said segmentgear for engaging the handle that is fulcrumed on the said boss, and a cup or'applicator carried by said stem. i

2. A message instrument comprising a pair of handles, a

hollow enlargement at the end' of one handle, a bottom plate removably secured to said enlargement and "rovided with a boss upon which the other iandle is pivoted or fulcrumed, a hollow rotatable stem extending through said boss and the upper wall of said enlargement, a. pinion secured directly to said stem at a point between the said boss and upper wall, a segmentgear pivoted on the said upper wall, means on. said segment gear foe'engaging the handle that is fulcrumed to-the said boss, 9. cup or applicator carried by said stem, and means connected with said stem and operated by the handles for exhausting the airfrom said cup or applicator.

3. A massage instrument provided with a hollow cup or applicator, means for operating the same, operative to produce an oscilthe part of said applicator, means for exhausting the air. from said cup or applicator, and a valve for the purpose described opening outwardly in the side of said cup or applicator.

4. A. massage instrument comprlslng a pairof handles, ahollow enlargement at the end of one handle, 9. cup or applicator, means within said hollow enlargement for operating said cup or applicator bythe opening and closing movements of the handles, operative to produce an oscillatory motion on the partof said applicator, and a I pair of handles, a cup or applicator operated by the opening and closing movements of said-handles, a bulb interposed between the handles'and connected for exhausting the air'fi'om said cup or applicator, and a valve for this purpose in the side of said cup or applicator, said bulb being provided with a small relief opening, as set forth.

6. A massage instrument comprislng' a pair of handles, a hollow enlargement at the end of one handle, abottom plate removably secured to saidenlargement and provided with a hoss'lupon which the other handle is pivoted orfulcrumed, a rotatable stem extending through said boss and the upper V wall of said enlargement, said stem being the end of one handle, a bottom plate-removably secured to said enlargement and provided with a boss upon which the other handle is pivoted or fulcrumed. a hollow rotatable stem extending through said boss and the upper wall of said enlargement, a pinion secured directly to said stem at" a point between the said boss and upper wall,

a segment gear pivoted on the said upper wall, means on said segment gear for engaging the handle that is fulcrumed to the said boss, a cup or applicator carried by said stem, said cup or applicator being mounted for and having an oscillatory or back and forth rotary motion, and means connected with said stem and operated by the handles for exhausting the air from said cup or applicator.

8. A massage instrument provided with a hollow cup or applicator, said cup or applicator being mounted for and. having an oscillatory or back and forth rotary motion, means for operating the same, means for exhausting the air from said cup or applicator, and a valve for this purpose provided in the side of said cup or applicator.

9. A massage. instrument comprising a pair of handles, a hollow enlargement at the end of one handle, a cup or applicator, said cup'or applicator being mounted for and having an oscillatory or back and forth rotary motion, means within said hollow en-, lar'gement for operating said cup or applicator by the opening and closing movements of the handles, and a coil spring interposed between the handles within the said enlarge ment, as set forth.

10. A massage instrument comprising a pair of handles, a cup or applicator operated by the opening and closing movements of said handles, said cup or applicator being mounted for and having an oscillatory'or back and forth rotary motion, a bulb interposed between the handles andconnected for exhausting the air from said cup or applicator, and a valve for this pur pose in the side of said cup or applicator, said bulb being provided with a small relief opening, as set forth.

Signed by me at Chicago, Cook county, Illinois, this 8th day of July, 1908.

HENRY ANDREW GRASS. lVitnesses:

ALBERT J. Laosnn, ELLEN CLEGG. 

